Pictured Above: Junior 1B Tyler Sanfillippo (Credit: Steve McLaughlin)
2019 Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament Headquarters
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Norwich, CT – The No. 3 seed, Wagner College baseball team defeated the No. 4 seed, Sacred Heart University Pioneers, 11-7, in an elimination game on Friday afternoon from Dodd Stadium.
With the win, the Seahawks will now face the No. 2 seed Central Connecticut tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. in an elimination game.
Should Wagner advance in that contest, they will play again at 4:00 p.m and, if necessary, a winner-take-all would take place on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. The Pioneers conclude its season at 19-34-1.
Eight of the nine Green & White starters had at least one hit in today's victory. Wagner's 2-through-7 hitters combined to drive in 10 RBIs in the win, led by junior 1B
Tyler Sanfillippo, who went 2-for-4 while driving in four RBIs.
Sophomore CF
Emil Matti, All-NEC Second Teamer, junior DH
Freddy Sabido, and Sanfillippo each produced multi-hit performances, with Matti and Sabido collecting three hits apiece. The trio combined to score eight of the eleven runs as Matti and Sanfillippo crossed the plate thrice.
Junior RHP
Ryan Lauk garnered his fourth win of the season, going 3.2 innings in relief of senior starter,
Neil Abbatiello. Lauk gave up six hits, three runs while walking two and striking out a batter. Junior
Nick Robino earned his seventh save of the season, after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings in which he allowed two hits and walked three and struck out three.
Alex Perry and Anthony Porrino each had three hits for the Pioneers while Justin Jordan added two hits. Porrino drove in two RBIs in defeat while four other Pioneers (Jake Frasca, Austin Markmann, Justin Levito and Jordan) contributed an RBI. Ryan Lamay took the loss, lasting just 2.1 innings in which he gave up six runs (five earned) on six hits.
The Green & White got on the board first in the top of the first, plating home two runs in taking the early lead. Matti laced a single up-the-middle. With two outs, Sanfillippo took Lamay's 0-1 pitch to the deepest part of left field, as the ball ricocheted off the wall, scoring Matti and allowed Sanfillippo to slide into third. The next batter, All-NEC Second Team choice, senior
Will Johnson, reached on a throwing error from Markmann, which scored Sanfillippo, giving Wagner a two-run advantage.
Following a scoreless second, the Seahawks put up four runs in the third in building a 6-0 cushion. Matti drew a one out walk and Sabido tripled to left center, bringing in Matti to make it 3-0. A walk to Sanfillippo, Johnson sent a RBI single to right to up the lead to 4-0.
Junior RF
Griffin Schneider ripped a single to left center, that gave the Seahawks runners on the corners while plating home Sanfillippo as Wagner led 5-0. Junior LF
Eric Lauk reached on an error by Markmann on a bunt that allowed Johnson to score and increased the lead to 6-0.
Sacred Heart matched Wagner with a four-run bottom half of the inning, cutting the Seahawk lead down to two, 6-4. A one-out walk to Trevor Fagan and two straight hits from Perry and Porrino led to the Pios first run of the contest as Fagan scored on Porrino's RBI single to left center.
Abbatiello was able to strike out Frasca but Markmann sent a run-scoring base knock to left made it 6-2. A walk to Stephen Thibault loaded the bases for SHU. The third run of the inning came into score on a wild pitch, as Wagner led 6-3.
Two straight walks to Elijah Brown and Levito brought home the final tally in the inning as Markmann came home on the free pass.
Wagner added a run in the fourth to go ahead by three. Pecora led off the Seahawk fourth with a first-pitch triple to center field. The triple marked the 13th of the Mamaroneck, NY native career, which ties him with Nick Papa ('06) for first on the all-time career triples list in Wagner history.
Matti jumped at the first-pitch he saw from Michael Attonito, doubling down the left field line as Pecora scored that made it 7-4.
Both teams were blanked in the fifth before they each added a run in their halves of the sixth. Matti was again the catalyst of the inning, sending a single to center. Sabdio sent a chopper through the right side that gave the Green & White a pair of runners on base with no outs.
Sanfillippo pushed a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by the catcher and moved both runners up a base. Johnson was intentionally walked, which loaded the bases for Wagner. With two outs,
Eric Lauk drew a free pass, scoring Matti that doubled up the score at 8-4.
Sacred Heart got it to within 8-5 in the bottom half of the frame as Frasca singled to right which brought in Perry, who led off the inning with a base hit back up-the-middle.
Facing Baylor Sundahl, who was into his third inning of relief, freshman catcher
Johnny Kampes led off with a single and Pecora walked. Matti moved both runners into scoring position on the sacrifice bunt. Sacred Heart went to the bullpen in the form of Jackson Aldam.
The first batter Aldam faced, Sabido, he hit him after going ahead 1-2 in the count, which loaded the bases for Sanfillippo. The Wayne, NJ native drew a walk, which scored Kampes as Wagner claimed a 9-5 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, SHU got within two, 9-7. Thibault led off the rally with a double to left field off of
Ryan Lauk. Lauk was able to strike out Brown for the first out before hitting Levito with an errant pitch.
The next batter, Jordan, doubled down the left field line that scored Thibault as Sacred Heart trailed 9-6. SHU sent up Steven Schoen to pinch-hit while the Seahawks countered by bringing in Robino. Robino walked the Schoen.
After striking out Perry on six pitches, Porrino sent a hard-hit ball to short, as Pecora was able to make the diving stop to keep it from going into the outfield, Levito came in to score as the Seahawks were up, 9-7.
In the ninth, the Seahawks got two more insurance runs off the bat of Sanfillippo. After Sabido notched his third hit of the day with two outs, Sanfillippo clubbed a towering shot that gave Wagner an 11-7 advantage.
In the last of the ninth, Robino walked the leadoff man, Jordan, before getting Dan Fallacaro to strikeout. Perry singled down the left field line but Robino recorded his second strikeout of the inning, retiring Porrino on three straight pitches. A 0-1 pitch to Frasca, he lofted a high pop up that was snagged by Pecora at short sealing the victory for Wagner.
